The Pokerangers
by The 483
Summary: A war is approaching the Poke-World that will shake the foundation of society and encompass the entire globe. On the frontlines of this, and indeed all conflicts, are the Pokerangers, headquartered in the Kanto Wildlife Preserve. The most elite fight forces in the world, The Academy is a hub of activity as one recruit travels through it's storied and infamous traditions.


_Pokémon: The Pokerangers_

_By: The 483_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokémon**_

_**Set in a world composed of the Games regions, but unrelated, with the exception of some small event details, to the direct story related to any particular game. (Note: While characters will retain names given in other stories, all are not the same versions issued in these other stories.)**_

**Chapter 1: Induction Day**

I was bored. This, in and of itself was not unusual, but today it was the weary boredom of expectations delayed. While I was still fairly tingling over the letter in my bag, (and the identical one in Alexander Vinn, my closest friends) the 4 day trip by sea to Fuchsia City and the day layover for maintenance on the rocky wasteland that was Cinnabar Island, my excitement had cooled somewhat as I stared at the endless blue waters rolling softly beneath the rocking deck. I rested my arms on the railing, and head on my arms, looking forward to being off the water, and not looking forward to the days of irritation Lilith would load upon me for he need of riding out the trip in her Poke ball, her weight and talons being verboten on deck or in the state room.

"Oi, Richard, I just talked to the first mate, and he says were due for landfall in about an hour." I lifted my head and turned to face Vinn, leaning back on the rails. Vin was a good head taller than I am, say... 6 foot, blonde where I was a dark brunette, and with bright blue eyes in contrast to my own muddy ones.

"Oh?" I said, letting a hint of sarcasm flavor the word. "Talked to, or _talked_ to." We had very similar tastes in most direction, save I liked redheads where he preferred blondes. Oh, and that those blondes were male. To use an old idiom, he was "queer as a three dollar bill" and not abashed about it in the least. And, unfortunately for a fair number of violent bigots, had the skills to allow him to be open about it.

"Just the conversation way. I may be a bit of a whore, but I still have my standards." Ail

"well, good to know there are constants in this world.." I sighed. "I am so sick of this damn boat."

We grew up together in Viridian City, got out first Pokémon together, and even set out over a vacation and earned our first 3 gym badges together. By competing with each other, we raised our Pokémon to a high degree of skill fairly quickly. This was why, when the terrorists attacked about a year ago, we had some of the strongest Pokémon in the town, and we were allowed to help repel the invaders. I think it was after that, we both independently chose to apply to the Ranger Academy. It took more than a year, but we received letters telling us that we allowed to report the gates of the Preserve in 2 weeks to try and be accepted into the Academy.

Now, I don't really know what the Rangers used to be. I had heard that they were little more recreational group, who took to adventuring for fun. But at some point, these enthusiasts transitioned into the most elite units of fighting troops operating in Kanto, Jhoto, and Hoehn.

"I know what you mean. Sid is not pleased to have been stuck in his ball this long, either." Vinn came forward, and leaned on the rail next to me. "So, what do you think we are in for?" I shrugged.

"I dunno. There aren't even any others on the boat to ask. And the crew isn't used to ferrying recruits. But judging from the videos I looked up on the net, and all the accounts I read, I think it's a good thing we kept in shape, because it looks like we will probably be more active than our Pokémon." Vinn grunted.

"I could use a bit o' exercise myself, what with the way I am used to eating. Anyway, I am going to go check over my kit, meet you when we hit the dock." He walked off, and I returned to my ruminations, my imagination swimming back and flipping through the things I had read about.

(...)

Fuchsia was more than a thriving port city, which was obvious by both the number and variety of venues and shops lining the busy, massive streets. The name of this large thoroughfare was "Entertainment Alley" and had all the diversions normally found in a port city, along with those found near military bases. Night clubs, diners, fancy restaurants, bars, supply stores, novelty shops, and eve at least 2 of what I suspected were brothels lined both sides of the crowded street, and in some cases stretched along side streets as well. There was even a sign advertising "all male revue" in bright red neon lights outside of what looked like a chapel of some sort. I liked the flavor of the place, a eclectic mix of different cultures and enterprises all crammed haphazardly into a single place. It was so different from the sheltered, orderly feel of home, it was interesting.

Lil, walking behind me, snorted irritated as we passed a loud, orange fronted restaurant advertising a mix of Indian cuisine and Korean BBQ. I could not blame her as I was glad my nostrils were not as sensitive as hers. Sid, Vinn's Nidoking was following behind him, but seemed not to notice the smell. We continued up the street, into an area that seemed dominated by bookstores, of both the normal and adult varieties, the fronts of the shops changing from the loud displays of mishmashes themes, into more orderly, and military themed shops as me moved deeper into the city, looking for the address listed in our acceptance letters. We had arrived a day early, so we wanted to check over the location before we checked into a hotel, to see what the score was, and also if maybe we could avoid the need to pay for lodging. We had a little cash on us, and, if we were accepted to the Academy, would be drawing a small salary starting when we were enrolled. From shop off to the left and a little bit ahead, 3 people came out and looked our way.

The lead element was a guy, maybe 2 years older then I, with spiky blonde hair, and a face that said "Entitled Douche." Behind him, a short woman, possibly as old, or even a bit younger then I followed, her completely emotionless face topped by a mop of reddish brown hair. She was very slight of build, and there were small scars dotting her exposed arms. The final man had black hair, and the walk and muscles of a body builder. All three were wearing simple black boots, black pants, and the males wore T-shirts where the female wore a tank top that gave a hint of cleavage that her very modest bust offered. The lead male looked over, got an arrogant scoffing smile on his face, and indicated for the others to look at us. The girl already was looking at me, and though he face didn't show any emotion, managed to look disgusted. All three wore knives clipped to their belts, and had a single poke ball clipped next to it. The blonde man chuckled, and the three took off up the street, like they hadn't been impressed with what they saw.

"Well, weren't they pleasant." Vinn said almost uninterestedly. Lilith snorted her agreement.

"Yeah. I guess assholes are the same wherever you go." I responded meditatively. They were not the first we had seen dressed that way; about a third of the people milling about seemed to be wearing it, though most of the females were in shorts rather than pants. About 5 minutes further up the street, we found the address, a small, clapboard building with a sign reading "Recruitment" tacked to the outer wall. I signaled Lil to wait, and Vinn did the same for Sid, and I pulled open the door, holding it so Vinn could enter.

Inside was a single, poor quality desk, with a man sitting in a padded chair, his feet propped up on the desk as he browsed through a month old porno magazine. The walls were bare, and the only other articles visible in the room were other magazines stacked neatly in the far corner of the desk. He did not look up until we were both standing in front of him. His blue eyes looked us over quickly, and I felt as if I had been fully appraised in minute detail, although he had not looked at me for more than 2 full seconds.

"Yes, what do you two boys need?" He said it casually, but it still carried the unmistakable tone of authority. Vinn stayed shut up, so I spoke.

"We were hoping this was the place we were ordered to report, to be accepted into the Ranger Academy."

"You kids think you have what it takes?" Had I been able to read the chevrons on his shoulder, I would not have felt annoyed. But I pushed the feeling away quickly, his tone was not offensive; it was barely even curious.

"I do not know, but I certainly intend to find out." He gave a grunt of accent.

"A decent answer. Never know if you don't try." He swung his boots off the desktop, and scooted the chair under. "Got your admittance letters?" We both dug them out, and handed them to the Sergeant. (As he had moved, I saw the name patch stitched to the chest of his black uniform jacket. Sgt. Baker.) Her looked over them, even though they were identical, except where our names were printed. "Pokedexes, please." He asked, and we forked those over too.

Over the years, all well before I was born, many different pieces of gear were issued and used in the field by various people. The Pokedex has always been the core of our kit, giving us a quick access reference to all the know Pokémon, their abilities, and their status. Phones, clocks, and a large medley of other mostly useless items were added, combined, and discarded over the years, until technology advanced to the point where now, outside a bag or backpack, the Pokedex was the only piece of gear that needed to be carried. A functional phone, it could perform all the functions necessary to a person out in the bush, and even had a class 4 holo-projector for 3d display of Pokémon and was up to date with current Holo-clip telecommunications and bulletins. It also held all of our identification and achievements. There were many styles, but both of us used the classic book-style variants, mine in black with green trim, and his blue with white trim.

He opened both of them, checked the identifications, then began to browse of service records. It was not much, in either case. We had 3 gym badges, only 2 Pokémon each, and our grades were not something of a bragging point in most areas. His eyebrows suddenly raised a fraction of an inch.

"You both saw action during the Invasion?" I didn't grasp it.

"The Invasion? What invasion?" He looked at us oddly.

"Back about a year ago, when there were the attacks on the population center."

"Oh! You mean when those terrorists were attacking the City." All we had done was notice that some unfriendly customers were causing problems in our city, and allowed our Pokémon to end the trouble. For a while after, we helped out a couple of the army guys stationed there, but really, we were just protecting out homes. "That wasn't really anything." The Sergeant cocked a brow further, pulled out his own Pokedex, and typed something in. He spoke while he typed.

"It was a little more than some random terrorism. It was a full scale military invasion of both Kanto and Jhoto. The bastards even managed to hold onto a rather decent sized chunk of Jhoto for around 6 months after they struck, too." He finished typing, and was quiet while he read something.

"Lieutenant Paseo filed a report on you two. I've just looked up the reference number in your file, and he stated that two unwashed, raw civilians showed up in the midst of an attack that he and his forces stationed in Viridian were not only unprepared for, but woefully outnumbered. He stated that these "volunteers" provided aid, shelter, extra heavy firepower, and critical intelligence on key points that allowed him and his men to keep the city from falling." I was a little embarrassed. It really wasn't all that much. All the killing was kind of scary, and I worried over Lilith getting to much of a taste for it, though that was stupid. Lil has no evil in her heart to be stoked, and what Gardevoir does is even quicker and cleaner then Lil's tusks. Sure, we housed the good guys, and showed them the roads to the power plant, water center, and all that stuff they asked about. They were good guys, and not from this part of the country. I will admit we did have some choice spots for the bowman to roost, and some ambush points mapped, but like most kids, when we were young, we like to play War, and remembered some of our old spot.

"It really wasn't anything, sir." Vinn stated, turning a little red from the attention. "We were just protecting our homes." The Sergeant ignored him, snapped all the Pokedexes closed, and returned ours. He then pulled out a pen and a pad of paper and started scribbling.

"Well, I have seen a lot a recruits come through here in my day, boys. Just so happens, when I was slogging my way through boot, back before the Colonel got her talons into me and made me a Ranger, I served under a Hard ass Lance named Raul Paseo. Don't think the flinty bastard ever smiled even at his own mother. So, I am damn sure that if the Loot wrote that report, and Colonel saw it, the only thing that surprises me, is that you weren't tested yet." He finished his scribble, removed the cap from an old fashioned wooden block stamp, and pounded it once on each letter. He put the cap back on, returned the stamp to his pocket, and smiled at them, pushing the letters back.

"Consider yourselves checked in, boys. We've had recruits flooding in for about 2 weeks, now, and running them to HQ at the end of every duty rotation. Mine ends in about an hour, and then I am escorting a group in. Meet here, and I'll slot you in. In the meantime, go enjoy your last hour as civilians. Once you cross into the HQ, your are officially recruits, and unless you bust out, we'll make Rangers out of you." He threw his legs back onto the desk, grabbed a new magazine, and ignored out presence. I wondered if we should salute, but I didn't want to insult him by doing it wrong, so we both shot a "Thank you, Sir." At him and left quickly.

I guess we were nervous, because we chose to wait at a cafe in plan sight of the front of the recruitment building, just in case. I bought Lil a hunk of meat, and she lay on the cement. Ripping noisily at the treat for half an hour, while I waited, drinking coffee, and just observing others at leisure. Vinn had decided he wanted to get a look around, and had wandered off. I noticed more of those in the Black pants, black boots, white shirts category, milling about, all armed. My guess was that they were off duty cadets, and I think my impression was confirmed as a 4 person team strode past.

They were dressed the same, except, like Sergeant Baker, they wore a long sleeved black jacket top with gold piping. In addition to the knives clipped to their belts, two had small, single hand crossbows clipped opposite the knives, and one had a full sized, scoped bow slung on his back. They all had a different arrangement of Chevrons clipped to the shoulder portion of their sleeves, with the added downward angled point on each end, the kind used by the Ranger Chain of command. One had two chevrons, another had 2 capped by a flat bar, another had 2 rows of 3 capped by a bar, and the final, and unquestionably the leader of the team, had a glod and silver poke ball over a single gold bar. At the time, I did not know this was the symbol denoting a second Lieutenant, but I guessed he was in command by the way he walked, and the fact that he must have been confident, as he seemed to be the least armed.

I saw a blonde girl walk out of the recruitment office, look around breifly, then stop as she noticed Lil. I tipped my cup to her, and she hesitantly came over, but keeping her distance as Lil growled warily, pulling her prize closer. Wise, on the girls part, as even I would not mess with Lilith when she had a treat, unless it was necessary. The girl gave a hesitant smile.

"Hi... um... you with the Academy?" I took a second to look her over, covering it by taking another pull from my drink. Up closer, she was sandy haired, rather than straight blond, was thin, kind of pretty, looked like she was used to working in the sun. She had eyes a light blue so light as to be almost transparent, like cubes of melted ice.

"No ma'am, but it's certainly my goal. You a hopeful too?" He smile turned into a real one, and her pretty became more pronounced.

"Yeah! I had to catch a freighter all the way in from Hoenn. I got my letter 3 weeks ago, but it was hard to find transport."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, miss. If you don;t have anywhere to be, feel free to pop a squat, and I'll order up another round while we wait for the Sergeant." She nodded happily, took another step, and halted again as Lil's growl got louder, and lowered in pitch. I looked surprised, and bending down from the high chair, swatted her on the plates at the base of her tail. I doubt she felt it, but she yelped and looked up at me, all big eyes and ashamed.

"Oi, been nice, Lil. Making friends, and I am fairly sure she isn't after you treat." She caught my eye, looked at the girl, still frozen, an stared. The girl raised her hands, palms out, and spoke quickly.

"Right, it's all yours." Lil whuffed, seemed satisfied, and returned to her bloody haunch of meat. I was impressed, but shouldn't have been. People who don't speak Pokémon don't get considered for the Rangers. She moved in, and climbed into a chair, letting her bag slump to the side opposite Lil. I singled a waiter, and then offered my hand. She shook it, and I noted that the palm of her hand was slightly coarse; she obviously was used to working with her hands.

"Nice to know you, Miss. My name is Richard Stone, and my messy companion down there is Litith."

"Thanks. I am Willow Sinclair, and it's nice to meet you both. I must say, Lilith is an Impressive girl. I have never seen one of her before." I smiled. Lil pretended not to be listening, but I saw her tail flick, pleased with the compliment.

"Not surprising, hers isn't a species native to Kanto. She is a Haxorus. Basic dragon type, native to Unova, I believe. My parents brought her back as an egg from a trip they took when I was little, and we've been partners forever." Willow ordered of a menu, and the waiter left.

"That's nice. Is she your only partner?"

"Nah, I have Gardevoir too. Found her as a Ralts back before Lil evolved into her current, rather bulky form, and we all get along like we were made for each other. What about you?" She looked a little sheepish.

"I just have Houndoom. He's never let me down, but I am a little worried." I waited till the waiter had deposited our drinks and left.

"Why's that? Not many over here, but from what I have seen, they are a fairly hardy breed." She gripped her mug with both hands, and sipped it gingerly.

"Well, it's only just me and him, and Ranger training is supposed to be some of the most difficult there is. I just wonder if I should have focused on getting some more Pokémon." I tried to smile reassuringly, but I think I failed.

"I don't think so. It said in the letters that we should just bring whatever personal effects we needed, along with our Pokedex and whatever partners we had, and the rest of our kit would either be provided or obtained. Besides, all the people in uniform I have seen walking around here in the last hour haven't had more than 3 balls clipped to their belts, and some less than that." She smiled weakly.

"I am glad you're so confident. Truthfully, I can't stop worrying."

"Heh, I wouldn't go _that_ far. I just practice trying to not worry about things I can do nothing about."

We passed the rest of the time chatting pleasantly, watching as other people stood around, both in the semi-uniform and those in civilian clothes too. Vinn returned about 15 minutes before the deadline, I introduced him to Willow, and he proceeded to be gay at her. By this, I mean he had that instant intimacy with her that would have taken me more then 2-3 months to form. I was jealous. I took another look around, and noticed that that threesome we had seen earlier. Or rather, I noticed the short, pretty redhead, and she just so happened to be with two men who fit the same general descriptions I seemed to remember her companions fit earlier. The leader, the blonde man, placed his hands on his hips, and eyed the crowd with dissapointment.

"Will you look at this, Vic? The Applicants get shabbier every year." He shook his head. He was speaking just loud enough for it to carry to most of us obviously waiting to be lead into the Ranger HQ. The muscle-bound one nodded in agreement, and the woman did not respond. I wouldn't be surprised if every one of these were washouts." He snorted derisively. "Let's go back, Vic. Sarge Baker wouldn't like it if we hang around while he takes 'em in. We'll see you later." He addressed the last comment to the girl, and together with the other man, strode off up the street. Willow looked worried, as did many of the others around us.

"Just ignore them. People that are that intentionally rude are either trying to wheedle something out of you, or aren't worth the thought you would spend on them." I sat while Vinn picked up where he had left off, and I took a closer look at the girl that had been left behind. She was cute, and I think she would have been beautiful had she any emotion in her face and eyes, which were one shade of red darker then her hair. She was short, maybe 5' 5" in bare feet, and as trim as she was short. She was not paying attention to anything specific, just standing with her eyes closed. Soon after, Sergeant Baker came out, called those of us together that were waiting for him, then headed off up the street, about 20 of us in tow.

We walked toward a dilapidated, rundown structure. It was a single story, roughly the size of a house. The walls were cracked and broken, vines festooning the outside and poking our fissures. A pair of glass windows were embedded in the front, and caked with so much filth they were completely opaque. The Sergeant pushed open the door, and as I followed through, I noticed that the hinges were clean and new. The inside was just as rundown as the outside, the floor tiles scuffed and buckled, and a single floor bolted barricade of wood was sitting and rotting. He continued on, moving though another door.

Lil whuffed. She was impressed. We walked out into a gently rolling grassy plain. Off to the left, almost lost in the distance, a forest of dense trees stood, while off to the right what looked like marshland sat at the same general distance. Farther out in front of us the grass grew in height and yellowed for as far as the eye could see. And the whole area was positively teaming with life. In the middle distance, a pack of Growlithe scampered an played. Further out, a trio of Tauros brayed angrily at the dogs. A number of Digglets looked at us warily, and then vanished in a puff of dust. The Sergeant strode straight out into the grass, paying little attention to the wild Pokémon. And so we followed. It was more than a six mile hike through ever deepening grass, until at last the grass started to lower, and we caught our first sight of Ranger HQ. More than one person gasped as the plants parted and the building was revealed.

It was three stories. Actually, it was five, but two were underground, and I didn't learn about those until classes started. We were approaching from the front, with a wide set of double mounted on a porch with 3 steps. Windows dotted the top floor, and the reinforced shell could be seen amongst the lower 2 floors. We were marched up and into the building, down a short hallway, and into another, auditorium sized room where about 40 others were already assembled, dressed in the off duty outfit. There was a podium on a raised panel against one wall, and a rank of older people stood against the wall, all in the full uniform of a Pokeranger. There were 2 men, and 4 women, all waiting with their backs to the wall. The door closed behind us at the last of us entered. Willow stood beside me on one side, I was happy to note, and Vinn took my other. Lilith stood over me and eyed the people on the make-due stage.

A woman with ruby red hair and piercing blue eyes approached the podium and stood, eyeing the assemblage before her with a look of distaste. She was tall, thin, and her immaculate uniform looked as if it had been sprayed on. She had hard, razor edged features, and would have been pretty if she hadn't seemed so severe. She clasped her hands behind her back, and cleared her throat once. Silence fell as if she had roared. Her eyes roved the floor, looking at each and every person in attendance.

"My name," she paused for a heartbeat, "is Violetta Sanchez. Colonel Violetta Sanchez. I am the Commandant of the Ranger Academy, and your God for the until you either drop out, get booted, or graduate from the academy." Her voice was quite, brooding, and intimidating. Her tone shifted slightly on the last option, as if to say this event was unlikely. "You have been drawn from all avenues, all professions, and all friendly countries for one reason. In each of you, the possibility that you have the potential to become a Ranger exist.

"By having been accepted to train, and being in this room at this time, and for the duration of your enlistment, or longer, you ties to family, friends, and even you own self are severed, and you. are. nothing." She punctuated each of the three words by banging her fist on the podium. She continued, but on a completely different track.

"187 years ago, a man had a dream. An avid explorer and adventure enthusiast, Sir Reginald Porpington, and his trusted Pokémon scoured our world for fun, seeing the suffering and woes, joys and loves of the world, and encountering others with his zest for life. He founded a club for individuals like himself, and the Pokerangers were born. But these were not normal people. Rich and influential people, with strong Pokémon, they often found it desirable to intercede on the behalf of the besieged and impoverished people they crossed on their travels. What began as an adventure club, soon became an almost paramilitary orginization, who never challenged, but freely aided anywhere they were needed.

"90 years ago, the first great war broke out between Jhoto and Kanto. Debates raged endlessly in the Hall of Rangers over which side to support in the conflict. Most of the membership of the time were from either country, and Hoenn was still recovering after its own war, and Sinnoh was maintaining its policy of isolation. Finally, one man, whose name has been lost, clamored for attention, and literally had to fight another member to death before he could be heard. He stood, bloodied and weak, and, through price of blood, forged us into what we would become.

"You all!" He pointed to the Kanto citizens, "say that we should support Kanto, because it is your homeland. You from Jhoto say the same. I say," he paused for a ragged breath, "Bullshit. In this conflict, it is not our place to choose a side. We belong with the people, aiding those who are caught in the middle, not serving the ambitions of those running the countries." This caused the Schism, where some supported their governments, and the majority fought both sides. The fighting was fierce, and many of our brothers fell against each other, and when the smoke cleared, those that remained dedicated themselves to protecting the people, often fighting the soldiers from their own homelands. And when the war was over, the man that started it was long dead, but he had planted the seed and forged the rangers into what we were to become. Over the course of the next 40 or so years, skills were refined, and we became near what we are now, a peacekeeping force comprised of the most elite soldiers that can be found on this earth. 30 years ago, we were put to the test, when an army of nationalist rose and overthrew the Kanto government, and all bur eradicated the Rangers before they collapsed under their own weight. We were few, but we rebuilt, and now, again, we are the tip of the spear that protects the world." She paused in her narrative, and looked out at the group assembled again, roving like surgical lasers as she examined her new charges.

"While we are not strictly a branch of the military, our ranks our recognized, and within the chain of command of our protectorate states militaries. While for many of you, this will not matter, as in most operations, our own units operate independent of local military forces, our own officer corps is recognized and can direct regular military forces." She smiled slightly, a predatory look. "I can see that this bothers the group of you that were chosen from the ranks of active service to try for the rangers. Do not worry, if the history of our joint services, there has been no record of extreme friction between the two groups above the personal level. We wish not to antagonize or brothers in arms, but to share their burden, and help keep the politicos aiming in the proper direction." She returned her attention back to the room as a whole.

"You may be wondering why I chose to open your service here with a tale on foundation of the Rangers. This is simple, and the core of what makes us what we are. When you become a Ranger, you become part of a large extended family, joining with a bond stronger than being married, closer even then that between Pokémon and their Trainers. Our unparalleled trust and loyalty between brothers, even those that have never before met, is the key to our success, and longevity. This will be the first lesson you will learn, or you are not, and can never be, a Ranger." She smiled again, the first and only time I ever saw her she gave a genuine, warm and friendly smile. "But I will say no more on it now. A Sergeant will call a series of names, direct you to your billets, and instruct you in the basic conduct that will be expected of you, before releasing you to chow call. Welcome, Recruits, to the Academy."

**End 1.**


End file.
